The invention relates in general to respirating devices and in particular to a new and useful device for positioning a tracheal tube in lengthwise direction in the trachea, in particular for an HFJV (High Frequency Jet Ventilation) tube with at least one jet nozzle.
For ventilation by tube, attention must be paid to correct lengthwise positioning in the trachea. Especially in the case of HFJV the effectiveness of the gas exchange in the lung depends decisively on the position of the jet nozzle in the trachea. It has been found that the distance of the jet nozzle from the first bifurcation (carina) should be about 1.5-2.5 cm for optimum ventilation conditions to be obtained. A tracheal tube with jet nozzles is described in German OS No. 28 47 681.
According to the known state of the art, the position of a tracheal tube and of a jet tube can be determined by radiology or by bronchscopy. Although the jet nozzle clearly appears in the X-ray picture, in many cases the exact position of the carina cannot be established. Besides, frequent repetition of radiology is an unacceptable strain on the patient. Moreover, the results of the radiology are generally not immediately available if high radiation in direct image converter observation is to be dispensed with. With the fiber optics bronchoscope the position of the carina and the distance from the jet nozzles can indeed by determined with sufficient accuracy, but this is a complicated method to be carried out only be skilled personnel. It appears further as disadvantageous that during the examination the bronchoscope takes up almost the entire cross-section of the tube and thus unduly supresses the breathing of the patient who may already have suffered considerable prior damage.